Petition for US broadcast of 65_RedRoses
(Include a proper business salutation here)
A vibrant, inspiring young woman named Eva Markvoort died on the morning of March 27, 2010, just four days shy of her 26th birthday. Eva had a genetic disease called Cystic Fibrosis that causes thick mucous to build up in the lungs and digestive tract, causing severe medical complications for virtually every system in the body and often leading to early death. Oftentimes, a lung transplant is required, as the mucous diminishes lung capacity and severely deprives the body of useful oxygen. Eva received a double lung transplant in October 2007 and lived two remarkable years until being diagnosed with chronic rejection in late 2009. She was placed back on the organ transplant list, but her health deteriorated, requiring her to be on oxygen full time, and eventually move back into Vancouver General Hospital while she waited for a new set of lungs to become available. They would, however, take longer than her old lungs would hold on, and she lost the battle.
What is noteworthy about Eva, however, isn’t the disease that killed her - the CF or the rejection, her age at death, or the suffering she endured - although any of these three are enough to rend your heartstrings. What made Eva stand out to those who knew her, either in person, or through her blog (http://65redroses.livejournal.com) was her vivacity for life and her determination to always work to help others. In the two years after her first lung transplant, Eva ran a marathon, nearly finished at her university, raced in a dragon boat, and went cross-country skiing. But everything she did, and every effort she made supported her cause, and constantly worked to develop her legacy of advocacy. Even as she lay dying, she urged others to become organ donors and sang Christmas carols online to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research.
Now that I have introduced you to Eva Markvoort, I want to ask for your help. Both for my interests, and Eva’s legacy. While Eva was awaiting her 2007 lung transplant, film makers Philip Lyall and Nimisha Mukerji were creating a documentary about her incredible struggle, her vibrant personality, and the importance of organ donation. This documentary, entitled “65_RedRoses” after Eva’s online alias, premiered at the Hot Docs 2009 Film Festival and went on to win the audience award at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Since then, it has been selected for over a dozen other screenings and is being shown on Canada’s CBC News Network.
It has yet, however, to reach U.S. audiences. Eva’s remarkable story - her joy for life, her determination to succeed, her fervent advocacy, and her overflowing love - remains untold on American television networks. She is often quoted as saying, “if this film convinces one person to become an organ donor, it was worth it.” According to Donate Life America (http://www.donatelife.net), 18 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant in America alone, and over 100,000 Americans are currently on the organ donation waiting list. A new name is added to that list every 11 minutes. Airing Eva’s documentary would have a profound impact on the legacy she fought her entire life to leave, and would save countless lives, in American and abroad, as the message of organ donation spreads. This is as much about sharing Eva’s incredible life as it is bearing witness to organ donation as it is even watching an award-winning documentary.
On February 11, 2010, Eva posted a heartbreaking video to her blog informing her loyal online followers that her life was coming to an end. She fought for the life she loved so much for another six and a half weeks. In that time, she was awarded her bachelor’s degree, as well as the Summerhayes award for cystic fibrosis awareness and advocacy. Each time, her message remained the same - fight for a cure, and sign up to donate life. Her legacy is in this documentary, and I urge you to let it speak to Americans as it has to Canadians, as it has to those of us who followed her blog, and as it will to those who see it in the future.
More information on the film can be found at http://www.65redroses.com/ as well as on Eva’s blog, which is still being maintained by her relatives. If you have any doubts or reservations that this is a story that needs to be told, that deserves to be heard - please, read her blog. Understand her message. Share in her legacy.
For information about purchasing the rights to broadcast 65_RedRoses, please contact Rob Bromley, Executive Producer of 65_RedRoses and President of Force Four Entertainment at rob@forcefour.com or via phone at 604.669.4424.
I thank you for your time and eagerly await an American viewing of this incredible documentary.
A vibrant, inspiring young woman named Eva Markvoort died on the morning of March 27, 2010, just four days shy of her 26th birthday. Eva had a genetic disease called Cystic Fibrosis that causes thick mucous to build up in the lungs and digestive tract, causing severe medical complications for virtually every system in the body and often leading to early death. Oftentimes, a lung transplant is required, as the mucous diminishes lung capacity and severely deprives the body of useful oxygen. Eva received a double lung transplant in October 2007 and lived two remarkable years until being diagnosed with chronic rejection in late 2009. She was placed back on the organ transplant list, but her health deteriorated, requiring her to be on oxygen full time, and eventually move back into Vancouver General Hospital while she waited for a new set of lungs to become available. They would, however, take longer than her old lungs would hold on, and she lost the battle.
What is noteworthy about Eva, however, isn’t the disease that killed her - the CF or the rejection, her age at death, or the suffering she endured - although any of these three are enough to rend your heartstrings. What made Eva stand out to those who knew her, either in person, or through her blog (http://65redroses.livejournal.com) was her vivacity for life and her determination to always work to help others. In the two years after her first lung transplant, Eva ran a marathon, nearly finished at her university, raced in a dragon boat, and went cross-country skiing. But everything she did, and every effort she made supported her cause, and constantly worked to develop her legacy of advocacy. Even as she lay dying, she urged others to become organ donors and sang Christmas carols online to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research.
Now that I have introduced you to Eva Markvoort, I want to ask for your help. Both for my interests, and Eva’s legacy. While Eva was awaiting her 2007 lung transplant, film makers Philip Lyall and Nimisha Mukerji were creating a documentary about her incredible struggle, her vibrant personality, and the importance of organ donation. This documentary, entitled “65_RedRoses” after Eva’s online alias, premiered at the Hot Docs 2009 Film Festival and went on to win the audience award at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Since then, it has been selected for over a dozen other screenings and is being shown on Canada’s CBC News Network.
It has yet, however, to reach U.S. audiences. Eva’s remarkable story - her joy for life, her determination to succeed, her fervent advocacy, and her overflowing love - remains untold on American television networks. She is often quoted as saying, “if this film convinces one person to become an organ donor, it was worth it.” According to Donate Life America (http://www.donatelife.net), 18 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant in America alone, and over 100,000 Americans are currently on the organ donation waiting list. A new name is added to that list every 11 minutes. Airing Eva’s documentary would have a profound impact on the legacy she fought her entire life to leave, and would save countless lives, in American and abroad, as the message of organ donation spreads. This is as much about sharing Eva’s incredible life as it is bearing witness to organ donation as it is even watching an award-winning documentary.
On February 11, 2010, Eva posted a heartbreaking video to her blog informing her loyal online followers that her life was coming to an end. She fought for the life she loved so much for another six and a half weeks. In that time, she was awarded her bachelor’s degree, as well as the Summerhayes award for cystic fibrosis awareness and advocacy. Each time, her message remained the same - fight for a cure, and sign up to donate life. Her legacy is in this documentary, and I urge you to let it speak to Americans as it has to Canadians, as it has to those of us who followed her blog, and as it will to those who see it in the future.
More information on the film can be found at http://www.65redroses.com/ as well as on Eva’s blog, which is still being maintained by her relatives. If you have any doubts or reservations that this is a story that needs to be told, that deserves to be heard - please, read her blog. Understand her message. Share in her legacy.
For information about purchasing the rights to broadcast 65_RedRoses, please contact Rob Bromley, Executive Producer of 65_RedRoses and President of Force Four Entertainment at rob@forcefour.com or via phone at 604.669.4424.
I thank you for your time and eagerly await an American viewing of this incredible documentary.